English Premier League U16 champions play in Thailand for the first time

Hua Hin – True Arena Hua Hin, Asia’s premier sports complex, in cooperation with Traill International School, True Corporation, Park24, and Thai Beverage Public Co., Ltd., proudly announces its hosting of the English Premier League team West Bromwich Albion U16 on their first visit to Thailand during 14th – 17th July 2017 for a match with the Thai U16 All Stars team and a Football Clinic training session for Thai youth athletes in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The activities will be supported by True Corporation, Park24, and Thai Beverage Public Co., Ltd. with the objective to provide an opportunity of skill development to young Thai footballers to learn directly from an English Premier League team. This marks a building of foundation and support for Thai footballers to step forward to the world arenas in future.

This will be the first time an official English Premier League youth team has come to Thailand. The West Bromwich Albion Football Club, led by Mr. Peter Gilbert, Youth Academy Coach of West Bromwich Albion Football Club, and including 16 players, is a popular and essential team in the league, and was founded 139 years ago. The U16 team is already touted as one of the strongest U16 teams developed by West Bromwich Albion, having already beaten Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton this season. A number of future English star players have come from this team, with more than five now playing for England and Scotland. True Arena has been approved by the team inspection as one of the best quality pitches in Thailand, on par with the premiership football pitches in England, so the team is looking forward to the match.

Mr. Suwat Liptapanlop, Former Deputy Prime of Thailand comments, “It is a great opportunity for Thailand to welcome West Bromwich Albion FC, a leading Premier League team from UK for ‘The West Bromwich Albion Hua Hin Tournament 2017’. The activity will raise a reputation of Hu Hin Town as the best venue in Thailand for international sports events, and is benefit for Thai players in improving their skills through training and competing with the world team. This is a great way to pave a professional path for Thai youth players to step forward the world leagues in future and bring honors back to our country. The activity this time at True Arena gains more interests and participation from lots of Thai youths, including players under True Corporation’s ‘Dream Come True’ project.”

“We warmly welcome West Bromwich Albion FC and organize sporting activities to strengthen relations and friendship, supported by our sponsors who place an importance to sports as the best way to develop our country. On this occasion, I would like to express an appreciation to our partners – West Bromwich Albion FC, Traill International School, and True Arena Hua Hin, as well as our sponsors, namely True Corporation, Park24, and Thai Beverage Public Company for a good cooperation to make this event happens.”

Mr. Robert Traill, Director of Traill International School, said, “Traill international School is proud to co-host with True Arena and the other sponsors to bring the most famous sports league in the world here. This is also a chance for Thai players to earn the right to be accepted into top UK football clubs, to actually live and train with the teams. At Traill International School we have been placing our top football students with professional football clubs in the UK and our students are well prepared, which means they easily fit in with other footballers in the UK and quickly become part of the team. The road to World Cup football is a dream that many Thai people share. And there has never been a better opportunity for Thailand, as FIFA announced that the World Cup will it be expanded from 32 teams up to 48 teams in eight years from now. The dream has become closer to reality and now is the time to focus on the youth.”

“The vision of True Arena Hua Hin fits in perfectly with that of all of us at West Brom,” agrees Mr. Peter Gilbert, U18 and professional phase coach, West Bromwich Albion FC, “Although we would normally choose a European country, we have strong links with Traill International School and we wish to give back to football by taking part in CSR activities like this. This trip to Thailand will be a learning experience for the players, encountering a different culture, and playing against the different styles in Thailand as well as meeting the different Thai players. Players from all over the world come to play in the Premier league, including players from Asia. If Thailand continues to further develop its youth players by regularly playing teams outside the Asian zone, Thai players will have a good chance to one day join a premier league team.”

“True Arena, in cooperation with Traill International School, True Corporation, Park24, and Thai Beverage Public Co., Ltd., is proud to share in the dream of Thai football fans to someday see Thailand in the football World Cup and to bring in a world-class team from the most famous English Premier League to help develop the youth of Thai football. From 14th – 17th July 2017, True Arena will provide state-of-the-art fitness equipment and facilities to enable players to warm up and stay fit before a match with its world-class FIFA standard football pitch, and will host West Brom at Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort. The visit of the English Premier League team will help to upgrade the sporting standards of Thai players, along with promoting the tourism industry and economy of Hua Hin town and Thailand. West Brom will participate in two main activities at True Arena Hua Hin, comprising of The West Bromwich Albion Hua Hin Tournament 2017 between West Bromwich Albion U16 and Thai U16 All Stars team on Saturday, 15th July 2017 during 18:00 – 20:00 hrs, and two Football Clinic sessions led by West Brom players and sponsored by True Corporation, Park24, and Thai Beverage,” comments Mr. Wasawat Tuntiprapa, General Manager of True Arena Hua Hin

Mr. Teerasak Arunrermwattana, Grup Director, Group Brand Communication & Media Management, True Corporation PCL., says, “We are glad to co-organize a football tournament with English Premier League team West Bromwich Albion U16. The event represents a great opportunity for CSR in contributing to the health and future of youth in the area through the Football Clinics. The first Football Clinic session will provide an opportunity to 100 underprivileged children from local schools supported by Park 24 and children from the ‘True Plook Punya’ Project by TRUE Corporation. The objective of this session is to expand this opportunity to assist children in rural area as much as possible, contributing a sustainable social development. In the second session of 3-hour training, Thai youth players under the ‘Dream Come True’ Project will have the chance for the first time to interact with the professional youth players of West Brom, some of whom play for England.”